Monthly Archives: January 2010

Reports find that excise tax will have reduce benefits and raise costs for employees

WASHINGTON – Two reports released December 8, 2009 by federal unions found that the so-called “Cadillac” tax on higher-cost health plans contained in the U.S. Senate health care bill would actually affect average plans like those under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The reports suggest that the excise tax would result in significant health benefit cuts and shifting of costs to employees, as plans try to avoid the tax.

The reports were released by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA). They were joined by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).

“These studies show us that the excise tax will further drive up the skyrocketing health care costs and will make it impossible for federal workers to achieve the health security they need. Read the rest of this entry →

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Congress is working on a major jobs bill that could help struggling transit systems across the country facing serious layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes, keep our buses and trains running, bring lasting improvements to our country’s transportation system…and strengthen our economy at the same time.

Yesterday the United States Supreme Court did something so big that it even took that couple who broke into the White House party – and that 3D movie with the blue people – off the news radar. For at least a minute.

If you thought the fight over who should be placed on the Supreme Court was only about abortion and social issues, you missed a bigger motive for some of the federal politicians who’ve pushed to appoint these guys. Many partisan federal politicians have wanted to increase the influence of big corporations over your government. Yesterday they won. Yesterday they gave Exxon about $85 billion more in power than they left for you. Read the rest of this entry →

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In a downward economy, an increasing number of families rely on credit cards to cover daily living expenses. While credit may be necessary to plug short-term gaps in income, it comes at a high price through soaring fees and interest rates, damage to credit scores, and burdensome debt that may take years to repay. Read the rest of this entry →

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We have something that you can give to working families this year — and it doesn’t need to be wrapped.

Tax credits can provide thousands of dollars to working families — but only if families know about the credits and claim them on their tax returns.

That’s why we need your help. Please help spread the word about tax credits for working families by downloading our new outreach materials and sharing them with your community — schools, non-profit agencies, child care centers, places of worship, etc. Read the rest of this entry →